Dominant Huskies earn break for exams

Rich Elliott

Updated 12:17 am, Friday, December 6, 2013

HARTFORD -- The UConn women have a reputation to live up to year in and year out. No matter who graduates, no matter who is injured, no matter who is having an off day, the players are expected to play like champions.

The Huskies are favored to win an NCAA-record ninth national championship this season. Along the journey, there will always be tests. And they have already passed one of significance over the past eight games.

UConn played seven games during this stretch without All-American Kaleena Lewis and Morgan Tuck. They defeated UC Davis 97-37 before 8,148 at the XL Center Thursday with only six healthy full-scholarship players as Kiah Stokes was sidelined as well.

For the majority of the past few weeks, regardless of the level of competition, they continued to play at a championship-caliber level.

"I think everything is a test in itself, and this one being that we were down players and then Kiah going down, we only had six," UConn center Stefanie Dolson said. "I just learned that we're very mature. We went out there, didn't focus on being tired or how many we had. We just went out and played.''

The Huskies will now break for 12 days for final exams. They have earned this extended break, fully solidifying their spot at the top of the polls with inspired play at both ends of the floor.

UConn has won its first 10 games by an average of 39.8 points. The Huskies are shooting 52.4 percent from the field, while limiting opponents to 31.2 percent and forcing 18.1 turnovers.

Led by Breanna Stewart (17.8), nine players are averaging at least 6.7 points. Led by Dolson (10.0), five players are averaging at least 3.5 rebounds. And led by Bria Hartley (5.6), five players are averaging at least 2.0 assists.

"I think we are in a pretty good place," Hartley said. "I think we have a lot of confidence when we're out there on the floor, and I think getting those players back is just going to help that even more. I don't really have any complaints at all about our team right now.''

The Huskies will not play again until facing No. 2 Duke in the Jimmy V Classic Dec. 17. Five days later, they will face No. 21 California in the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden.

By that time, UConn could be whole again for the first time since defeating Stanford Nov. 11.

Mosqueda-Lewis (right elbow) and Tuck (right knee) are expected to return to practice next week. Stokes (left ankle) is expected back when the Huskies return to practice Sunday.

"It's probably going to be a little weird because we've gotten so used to how many we have now,'' Dolson said. "But once we get them in for a couple practices, I know we're going to be right back to where we were in the beginning. So it's going to be great timing for them.''

The Huskies have played well to this point. The overriding sentiment is that this team can get even better in the weeks and months to come.

"Yeah, we can get better, and we will get better,'' UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "That's the biggest danger. When you win a bunch of games and you win them the way we've won since the beginning of the season, if you aren't careful, you go, `What do we have to get better at? We're really good.' That's our job as coaches, to understand that there's a whole other level that we can reach.